Voodoo In Benin

Benin was formed in 1960 when the colony of French Dahomey gained independence from France. Prior to that, it was divided between two coastal kingdoms that were Dahomey and Porto-Novo. Benin is made up of 43,483 square miles and extends about 420 miles from the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the Niger River. The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo and the form of government is made up of a combined republic with one legislative house. In Benin, there are two climatic zones, the southern and the northern, which have four distinct seasons, two being wet and two being dry. The homes in Benin take the form of traditional African mud homes, markets, shrines, and statues that can be seen throughout the towns. There are many ethnic groups in Benin despite attempts for national

The official language of Benin is French, but each ethnic group has it’s own language which is also spoken, with the most widely spoken languages being Fon and Gen. The predominant religion is Christian made up of Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, and independent Christian Domination while Muslim religion also has a place. One can’t speak of Benin without mentioning that it is the birthplace of voodoo. Voodoo is recognized as an official religion in Benin and is followed by more than 40% of the population. Voodoo in Benin isn’t seen as negative as it is in the West; in fact many who are officially Christian incorporate some Voodoo elements into their beliefs as it is seen not only as a religion, but also as a way of life. People in Benin tend to cook outside and generally cook two meals a day that are made up of a starch eaten with a sauce that contains meat or fish and vegetables. Smoked, dried or fresh fish are general